House of Representatives Votes to Stop Pentagon from Training Afghans to Fly Russian Helicopters

WASHINGTON, DC—The House of Representatives again made clearits objection to continued Pentagon purchases of helicopters from the Russianarms dealer Rosoboronexport for the Afghan Specialty Mission Wing. Last night'svote was 333 to 93 in support of an amendmentby Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and James Moran (D-VA). The amendmentwas included with the Fiscal Year 2014 Defense Department Appropriations Bill,due to be voted on later today.

The bipartisan amendment builds on a prohibition on furtherbusiness with Rosoboronexport also included in the bill. It prohibits moneymade available in the bill from being used by the Defense Department (DOD) totrain the Afghan Special Mission Wing to operate or maintain Russian-made Mi-17helicopters. DOD is currently purchasing those Mi-17s from Rosoboronexport, theRussian state arms dealer that is also arming the Assad regime in Syria.

"Time and again, the Defense Department has ignored Congress'sclear message that they need to stop purchasing helicopters fromRosoboronexport," DeLauro said. "They point to the 30 years ofexperience the Afghans have with the Mi-17 helicopters, yet as the InspectorGeneral's report shows, the Afghans lack the capacity to use them. U.S.taxpayer money should be spent on American made systems, not subsidizing theRussian state arms dealer fueling the war in Syria."

Moran said: "I am proud to support Rep. DeLauro'samendment. The U.S. government should not be working with companies that supplyarms to the murderous Syrian regime. The U.S. spent more than $550 million topurchase helicopters we now know only 7 Afghan pilots are fully missionqualified to fly. It is unacceptable to give the Russian Rosoboronexport firmone more dime of taxpayer funds."

DOD's most recent contract with Rosoboronexport came justdays after the House of Representatives voted 423-0 on an amendment authored byDeLauro to strengthen the prohibition on Pentagon business with the firm. Thatprohibition is also included in the Fiscal Year 2014 Defense DepartmentAppropriations Bill. And last month, the Special Inspector General forAfghanistan Reconstruction issued a reportrecommending DOD suspend plans to purchase the Russian-made helicopters. Thereport called the deal highly imprudent, noting the Afghans do not have thecapacity to use them.